Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Spiraling
clockwise from top left:
Angles
Dave Sawle and Francine Howard,
Anne Fox, David Baker and AL Levenson,
Write Angles
January, 2010
Beginning below
the panorama, clockwise
from left: Lucille Bellucci and Anne
Fox, Clfford Hui, Jack Russ, Art Carey,
Davie Simmons.
JANUARY MEETING:
Our New Home: Oakland’s Main Library!
The next regular meeting of the Berkeley Branch, which will feature Hut
Landon, Executive Director of the Northern California Independent Booksellers
Association, will be in the West Auditorium of the Oakland Main Library
at 125-14th Street near the Lake Merritt BART station. (94612)
1:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 17, 2010.
You can enter the room directly from Madison Street
between 13th and 14th Streets.
Limited seating.
“Simply the best conference for My three-part series for Write Angles on the history of women
getting published.” in the writers club was fun to do and helped to get me back to
some of my own writing.
—Therese Pipe, BB member
Featuring nearly 100 presenters—
Keynoters and bestselling authors In March, my friends and relatives got to see a reading of The
include: Souls of Her Feet, the musical I’ve had in my head for so long. “I
Jacquelyn Mitchard, Steve Berry, knew I had to like it,” my brother said, “but I didn’t expect to love
Sheldon Siegel, Dan Poynter, Tamim it!!” I’m also proud I finally got to my cartoon memoir, which has
Ansary and Susan Wiggs. been on my “to-do list” for ten years or more.
—Kristen Caven, BB member
Access to 50+ sessions.
Pitch your work at Ask-a-Pro “As a writer, what are your GOALS for 2010?”
and Speed Dating for Agents.
My writer’s new year’s resolution is to learn to do effective
indirect dialog.
Event & writing contest details: —JoAnn Smith Ainsworth, BB member
My resolution is to market
blank. We are go-
Jump on the opportunities
my writing more—to devote
one day each week to sending ing to put words
and experiences that the out queries, submissions,
journey of life offers. Ride it
hard and fast, don’t slow on the
and follow-ups. I make this
resolution every year. Hasn’t
on them ourselves.
curves. Savor the aromas of happened yet. Writing’s more
exotic places, even if only in my
dreams. Listen to the music
fun. The book is called
—Ray Malus, Editor, newsletter,
of each moment in time. Taste
the stewpots of the human
condition. Press myself on
San Fernando Valley Branch
Opportunity and
Try to find different ways
life, like a favorite lover. Then,
sit down and write, write, write,
to publish my work by using
the Internet. I currently submit
its first chapter is
and rewrite with passion and to ezines and publications that
love.
—Colleen Rae, dual member,
publish both in hard copy and
have a Web site that displays
New Year’s Day.”
Marin and Berkeley Branches their articles online. My
goal is to aggressively look —Edith Lovejoy Pierce
As I look forward to my for opportunities on the ’Net
format that works best. Sell a book! accomplish this goal before
Then decide how much of Oprah leaves in 2010.
—Dave Sawle. BB member
the historical record I can
gracefully include. Last, create —Gary McIntyre, BB member
Finish A Mango for the
five pages regularly for the
Teacher: Stories from Cancun’s
critique sessions. Complete first draft of my
Early Days and publish it.
—Barbara Gilvar, BB member novel
—Debby Frisch, BB member
—Kathleen Orosco, BB member
Promote Page From A
Complete at least two of
Tennesse Journal on the Oprah To have the book I am
my five children’s stories and
Show. working on be accepted by a
publish at least one. Complete
—Francine Howard, BB member at least five chapters of my wonderful publisher who will
memoir. promote it enthusiastically so
Finish writing rough draft that between their work and
—Kerstin Feist mine, it will be a best seller.
of novel and send it out to at
least three agents. —Karin Ireland, BB member
Find a publisher for my
—Tanya Grove, BB member novel.
Writing. Finally getting
—David Baker, BB member going the column I keep talking
about.
Finish my second novel.
Find paying publishing —Sasha Futran, dual member,
Marin and Berkeley Branches
AL interviews
4. Alon Shalev
5. Anjuelle Floyd
Colleen Rae,
6. Anne Fox
7. Anne Prowell
member #100 8.
9.
Aphra Pia
Arline Lawrence
10. Arue Szura
Colleen Rae and I have been friends 11. Barbara Burton
since before I joined the Berkeley 12. Barbara Ruffner
Branch. Colleen was already a
serious writer five years ago when we 13. Barbara Gilvar
first met. The pleasure she derived 14. Bill Roller
from writing helped to awaken my 15. Bruce Shigeura
own long-sleeping muses. Although 16. Carlene Cole
she moved away several years ago, 17. Carol Newman-Weaver
thanks to the email, we’ve stayed in
touch. And our dialogues became 18. Caroline Abasta
more frequent after I joined the 19. Caroline Ahlswede
Berkeley Branch 20. Caryl Hansen
Colleen has been a member of the Marin Branch of the CWC for years 21. Charlie Russell
but recently decided to become a dual member of the Berkeley Branch. 22. Charlotte Cook
23. Christopher Richards
Colleen’s reasons for writing, for joining a writer’s club, for joining the
Berkeley Branch, are echoed across the membership. So, partly to honor
24. Clifford A. Hui
our hundredth member during our centennial year; partly to honor an 25. David George
enduring friendship with a writer; and partly to honor the publication of 26. David Gray
her debut novel, Mohave Mambo, I asked Colleen to introduce herself to 27. David Sawle
the members of the Berkeley Branch. 28. David Baker
AL: When did you start writing? 29. Davie Simmons
Colleen: I wrote my first one-act play when I was eight, for a school 30. Debby Frisch
play. I kept a diary/journal when I was growing up. 31. Dirk Wales
AL: What drew you to writing in the first place? 32. Dorothy V. Benson
Colleen: I always liked to read, and writing seemed the natural 33. Edward S. Dean
thing to do. My mother was a writer, and I wanted to be 34. Ele Quinn
like her. 35. Ellen C. Graebe
AL: I remember you told me you wrote every day. Is that still 36. Emery Garriott
literally true? 37. Evelyn Washington
Colleen: Yes, I usually write for the first couple of hours when I get
38. Faith Darling
up. I make coffee and go right to the computer. This way, 39. Frances B. Spencer
I am not tempted to put off the writing. Sometimes I write 40. Francine Howard
later on in the day also 41. Gail Travers
AL: Have you always been so dedicated? 42. Gary McIntyre
43. Gloria Reid
Colleen: I have always spent part of each day writing. When you
have a desire that invades even your dreams, you must
44. Gurnam S. Brard
carry it out. I have never had writer’s block. I hate to say 45. Irv Hamilton
that. Sure as I do, I’ll have it. 46. Jane Glendinning
AL: How many hours per day do you write?
47. Janell Moon
48. Janice Armigo-Brown
continued on page 14 49. Jeff Kingman
I help
basis on an experience in my life.
AL: Why did you decide to join the Berkeley Branch?
Colleen: I saw the opportunity to reach other writers and to hear
what they had to say. I guess the desire for the universal the club?”
connection to man/womankind— Tatjana Greiner needs
AL: What courses, classes, workshops, etc., have helped you an intern or two to help with
the most? the WestSide Story Contest,
Colleen: I’ve studied under Guy Biederman, teacher extraordinaire, both to receive and dispatch
at Marin Junior College. Later, I spent five years in his the entries and help get the
novel workshop, where I workshopped Mohave Mambo. I’ve word out about the contest.
attended several writing workshops and seminars. All my The formative
exposure to writers and workshops has benefited me. You membership committee
can never have enough experience writing.
needs a few gregarious people
AL: Your debut novel, Mohave Mambo, was recently released, to do what they do well—
and your book launch party was unusual. make people feel welcome,
Colleen: MM was released on November 4. The book launch party and follow up with inquiries
was terrific. It was by invitation only at a local winery. Most and drop-ins. Additionally,
of the friends I have met since living in Michigan for four someone with simple track-
years attended. My daughter made delicious appetizers. We keeping skill would be
served some good wine and had a great time. I sold twenty
valuable, i.e., someone who
copies at that event.
can maintain a Rolodex.
AL: What is Mohave Mambo about? Kristen needs a partner
Colleen: It is the story of Lola, an exotic dancer, who secretly or intern to help with layout
witnessed her boyfriend’s murder. When she realizes the on Write Angles, either an
killers may be searching for her, she runs and hides out in experienced writer/designer
a rural Arizona town, starts a new life, unaware that a killer to trade off months or
is on her trail.
someone who wants to learn
AL: Someone once said that all debut novels are InDesign and can help on a
autobiographical. How much of Lola is you? monthly basis, A very fun
Colleen: A very small portion. She and I shared some of the same job!
experiences. That’s it. www.CWC-Berkeley.
AL: I think I recall reading some scraps of Mohave Mambo years com is our trusty Web
ago. How long did you work on this project? site and “storefront” to the
Colleen: I took a year writing and getting it in shape to turn it world. Help is needed to post
over to a professional editor. He line- and copyedited and monthly updates, and a new
suggested a second story line. I spent six to eight months webmaster would be free to
on additional writing, and then he edited it again. When exercise his or her creativity
I was satisfied with the final draft, I began to search for and organizational
an agent and publisher. Two years later, I decided to self- continued on next page...
publish.
AL: Did you focus on this project alone during that time? Did
you put it aside for long periods? Did you work on other
projects at the same time?
Colleen: I did put it aside for long periods while I wrote four other
novels. But I returned to MM often to polish and rewrite.
AL: When you made the decision to self-publish, you had to
deal with design and formatting of the book as well.
Colleen: I had Jo-Anne Rosen, of Wordrunner Press, in Petaluma,
continued on next page...
Our WestSide story contest eChapbook is now online The CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB
is dedicated to educating members
at and the public-at-large in the craft
www.Scribd.com/CWC-Berkeley of writing and in the marketing of
their work. For more information,
where you can also read visit our Web site at cwc-berkeley.
com.
back issues of Write Angles!
Copyright © 2010 by the California
Writers Club, Berkeley Branch.
“Last year’s words belong to last All rights reserved. Write Angles
is published 10 times a year
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